Wayne sits in a reclining chair where he spends most of his days. Terminally ill, he is too weak to leave the house.
He has invited BBC News to witness his death under California’s assisted dying laws - if MPs in London vote to legalise the practice in England and Wales, it will allow some terminally ill people here to die in a similar way.
Half an hour after arriving at Wayne’s house, I watch him swallow three anti-nausea tablets, designed to minimise the risk of him vomiting the lethal medication he plans to take shortly.
When Wayne signals he is ready, the doctor mixes the meds with cherry and pineapple juice to soften the bitter taste - and he hands this pink liquid to Wayne.
this is a choice everyone should be allowed to make. although i understand the concerns of the disabled woman in the video (for example, Canada’s MAID has some alarming issues) she is wrong to imply access to assisted suicide means disabled people are not worth as much as abled people. unfortunately, capitalists would rather kill sick people than spend money to save them, so abuse will occur as long as profit is part of our culture, but dying on your own terms as opposed to the whims of an illness is giving you your control back. there is no humanity in suffering. we don’t even let terminal patients suffer, we pump them full of drugs. everyone should have the right to avoid a prolonged, painful death.
We even assist animals in a peaceful death when they’re suffering, it should be no question for consenting humans.
